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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 11, 2001
Press Briefing to the Pool By Ari Fleischer
Aboard Air Force One
En Route Andrews Air Force Base
5:30 P.M. EDT
MR. FLEISCHER: The President
will address the nation tonight, upon his return to the White
House. He met this afternoon for one hour and five minutes
with his national security team via live tele-conference from Offutt
Air Force Base in Nebraska.
Among the things the President said were,
"We will find these people and they will suffer the consequence of
taking on this nation. We will do what it takes," and he
continued, "No one is going to diminish the spirit of this country."
The President has also heard today from
countless world leaders either who are calling to -- back to Washington
or have sent him directly communiques. He's heard from
Britain, France, Germany, Russia -- a host of nations, all of whom have
expressed their outrage at this attack, and who have assured the
American people that the international community stands with America.
That's what I've got.
Q The message
tonight, do you know how soon after he gets back to the White House
he'll be able to do that?
MR. FLEISCHER: Can't indicate
yet.
Q And when he does,
the message is to the American people, as he said earlier, and to
foreign countries ?
MR. FLEISCHER: It will be a
message of resolve and reassurance. It will be a reassuring
message that our nation has been tested before, our nation has always
prevailed.
Q Does the
President have any information about the source of the violence and the
mastermind behind it?
MR. FLEISCHER: I'm not going to
discuss any of the intelligence information that's been provided to the
President.
Q Can you give us
some idea of why the stops that we made today were made? I
understand the nature of the tragedy that we're dealing with, but why
these particular locations?
MR. FLEISCHER: For security
purposes that involve the President.
Q I mean, was this
more like a roll of the dice as in, which Air Force bases will we end
up at? Or is this more wanting ?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, of course,
nobody would ever know what Air Force base we would end up
at. That's routine procedure. There are a series
of plan that you always hope remain on the shelf that, unfortunately,
today had to be implemented.
And so, as a matter of security, the
President traveled in the manner that he did and that also allowed the
national security community to assess the ongoing nature of a
threat. Obviously, the President is now returning to
Washington.
Q Why is he
returning now? Who makes the decision that it is safe for
his return now?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well,
ultimately, it's the President. Information is provided to
the President about any type of threat, and the President makes the
final determination. The President wanted to get back to
Washington. He understood that there can be a period of caution so
that the security people can make a full and proper assessment about
any threats.
They were afforded that
opportunity. The President traveled to a secure location
while they took that opportunity. And now, obviously, the
President is returning home safely.
Q There was some
confusion earlier about whether the Vice President was at the White
House the entire time, or whether he was evacuated and ultimately
returned to the White House.
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, my
information is he was at the White House the whole
time. You'd have to check with his office about what time he
arrived at the White House. But from the beginning, when the
President spoke to him this morning, he was at the White House, that's
where the President reached him.
Q A number of
domestic groups have called off, you know, scheduling a number of
activities -- baseball, Emmy awards. How does the
President now view the next few days for his
concentration? He will have to deal with this pretty
exhaustively over the rest of the week.
MR. FLEISCHER: The President
thinks it's important for America to return to their
lives. As he indicated, this is a test of America's resolve
and that no one will diminish America's spirit; and America's spirit
includes a return to normal lifestyles.
Q As for his
schedule for the rest of the week, he will now focus on this
primarily?
MR. FLEISCHER: Of course, this
will be his top priority now.
Q What are his
plans for -- in terms of, is he going to stay in the White
House? Is he going to be moved to a different location from
there?
MR. FLEISCHER: We'll, of
course, advise you of any presidential travel, as
always. But the President is returning to the Oval Office
and he will go to work.
Q He will
what? I'm sorry.
MR. FLEISCHER: The President is
returning to the White House to go to work.
Q And you'll let us
know details of the speech?
MR. FLEISCHER: Yes.
Q Have the networks
been informed ?
MR. JOHNDROE: No.
Q Now, at this
teleconference meeting with these -- his national security team, was he
projected on a wide-screen TV or did someone videotape
him? Was he alone? Can we get some more details
on him?
MR. FLEISCHER: People could see
each other, that's how these tele-conferences work.
Q Did he sit in a
room before a single, solitary camera? Was he in that room
alone or was he with his aides and advisors?
MR. FLEISCHER: No, there were
other people in the room with him. And he was
visible. And he could see the people who were talking to him
from the White House.
Q They were ?
MR. FLEISCHER: It was two-way.
Q -- imposed on a
video screen for him, at his location?
MR. FLEISCHER: It was two-way.
Q Thank you.
END
5:36 P.M. EDT
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